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On an evening when many were hunkered down during a bout of freezing rain, the top floor of 30 Arbor Street was abuzz. The former factory space hosted a pop-up marketplace, with vendors offering everything from vintage clothing at thrift store prices, to designer jeans at $200 a pair, to Valentine’s Day cards declaring that the lovebirds go together like pills and vodka. The music was loud and the vegan cupcakes were copious. This was on a Monday. Continue reading 'Leaders Discuss “What Makes a Strong Community?”'»

Residents will have a number of centers to choose from if they are seeking free assistance with tax preparation. These include the Hartford Public Library, HART, Mi Casa Community Center, Upper Albany Neighborhood Collective, Urban League of Greater Hartford, Village for Families and Children at Clark Elementary School, Village for Families and Children at Burr Elementary School, YWCA Hartford Region, and at Community Renewal Team (CRT) sites in Hartford.

Out of town options include at the Town of Enfield, Manchester Community College, and CRT sites in East Hartford, Manchester, and Middletown.

To make an appointment with EITC/VITA volunteers, call 2-1-1, then hit ’3′.

For those just tuning in, every month Real Hartford creates a calendar of events happening in the city. This is not intended to be all-inclusive– you’ll note the absence of “Ladies Nite” events. Continue reading 'February 2013 Events'»

Yesterday the Department of Transportation held a reconsideration hearing for the ruling on Flower Street. This was requested back in November by Timothy Wilson, the Manager of Highway Design. When the request was granted, in November, only few of the stakeholders were notified of the new hearing date; the others found out just in recent days after a FOIA request was placed, essentially forcing the DOT to make contact with those who had opposed the closure of Flower Street during the first hearing. It is unclear what efforts were placed in filing public notice of this hearing; those who were informed of it were given scant details as to the nature of the evidence that the DOT would be presenting to itself.

The conflict of interest inherent in an agency ruling on its own matters has been controversial, but not enough to force reconsideration of how this matter is being handled.